Alumni Spotlight: Matt Anderson, ’03

“Young Harris College has character.” Matthew Anderson, ’03, vividly remembers as a child hearing his father, Jon, ’65, argue this point after a Sunday church service. However, developing character didn’t matter much to 10-year-old Matt. He had other things on his mind.

“Whenever I visited the campus as a kid, I remember playing around the creek that ran right through campus and thinking it would be the perfect home for some trout,” Anderson recalled. “Needless to say, Young Harris had my attention at an early age.”

When it became time to begin his college search, it was a given in Anderson’s house that he would at least consider YHC. His father still enjoys the role of YHC recruiter and takes every opportunity possible to convince other parents to look at YHC for their children.

“Young Harris was my first college visit. Once I got there, it became obvious to me that there was something different about the students. It seemed as though everybody was friends with everyone else, and there were genuine relationships among the student body,” Anderson said. “This, along with the opportunity to obtain a strong education and the fact that the College is surrounded by a giant outdoor mountain playground, made it an easy decision for me.”

While at YHC, Anderson quickly discovered many ways to get involved on campus. He was a member of the Student Government Association and Alpha Omega, played on many intramural teams and was active in religious life organizations.

Anderson quickly found that, while classes at YHC were “tough,” they were also guided by professors who loved teaching and cared about the students.

“Young Harris College taught me how to study. By my sophomore year, I had turned one of the study rooms on the second floor of the library into my ‘day dorm.’ It was there that I really learned what it meant to put in the hours,” Anderson said. “The challenges I faced in the classroom at YHC immensely helped me throughout my college and professional careers.”

After graduating from YHC, Anderson went on to earn a dual B.B.A. in accounting and management from Kennesaw State University. During his senior year at KSU, a fellow YHC alumnus, Brantley Barrow, ’74, gave Anderson the opportunity to intern in the accounting department at Hardin Construction in Atlanta.

“That opportunity gave me an incredible start to my career, plus college credit to boot. I owe a lot to my internship at Hardin, and the opportunity came about simply because of a Young Harris connection,” he said. “I am forever grateful and hope that one day I will be in a position to help another YHC graduate get his or her start.”

After graduating from KSU, Anderson began working for certified public accounting firm Carr, Riggs and Ingram in Atlanta. He regularly travels to different cities throughout Georgia to work out of his clients’ offices.

“This tends to be pretty interesting because I always meet and work with a lot of new people,” Anderson said. “It’s a lot of fun when I come across somebody with ties to YHC, and it seems that we can develop an instant connection with each other. I always find I have similar stories and experiences to talk about with other YHC alumni, no matter when they were up in the valley.”

It was these introductions and conversations with fellow alumni that motivated Anderson to become more active as an alumnus. After seeking out ways to get plugged back in, Anderson found out about the Young Alumni Council.

“I jumped at the opportunity to serve because I believe we have a duty to support the College in any way we can. This can be through volunteering our time, recruiting the next class of freshmen, giving monetary contributions and finding other ways to benefit the College and its mission,” Anderson said. “The Young Alumni Council is a fun and dedicated group of individuals who care about the College and want to serve, all while having a good time.”

In October 2010, the Young Alumni Council sponsored its first Connection event at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta. According to Anderson, the group has steadily been meeting its goal of planning events for alumni in their 20s and 30s.

“I’m excited about our next outing this spring at the Braves game, and I hope to see a lot of alumni there,” Anderson said. “Just by going to a Braves game, you can consider yourself active alumni!”

Anderson also points out that, in addition to connecting and bonding with fellow YHC alumni, there are also other important benefits of becoming more involved with the College.

“I made memorable friendships with my classmates, and whenever I see them now, we always pick up where we left off. Being involved with your alma mater is a great way to keep these relationships strong,” Anderson said. “Also, I want to make sure I have my say in the future decisions of the College so that I can protect the impact that the words ‘Young Harris College’ have on my résumé 30 years from now. It is important that alumni guard the ability for future students to have the same great experiences we did.”

5 Questions for… Bill and Mary Ann Fox

The Office of Alumni Services recently posed five questions to Bill and Mary Ann Fox, a pair that has more than 80 years of service to Young Harris College between them. Bill, ’50, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Georgia Southern University and joined the YHC faculty in 1952. Mary Ann joined the College in 1959 after earning her bachelor’s degree from Illinois Wesleyan University and her master’s degree from Indiana University. The couple was instrumental in establishing the Division of Fine Arts at YHC and raising funds to build the Clegg Fine Arts Building as the first real home to the fine arts degree program. Bill served as chair of the division for two decades, and Mary Ann rejoined the music faculty in 2009 as adjunct professor of music and accompanist. Read on to learn how the Foxes met and fell in love, some of their fondest memories at YHC and what it has been like to see the Division of Fine Arts at YHC grow and flourish during the last 50 years.

What are you up to these days?

B.F.: I am “up to” staying as healthy as possible so that I might be able to accomplish as many of the goals or tasks still on my agenda as possible, such as work at home, which has been so long neglected. I am still active in music at church and in the community, and I have directed the Mountain Community Chorus for the last 25 years.

M.A.F.: I’m keeping busy! I have been teaching private piano lessons since my retirement from YHC in 1998. I continued serving as a church organist and pianist at Sharp United Methodist Church until March 2007. In the fall of 2009—50 years after coming to YHC—more help was needed in the YHC Music Department because of the expanding program, so I began teaching several piano majors and accompanying instrumental students. There is not much time for anything else, so, thankfully, Bill and I had done some traveling after our retirements. Under Patty Clay’s tenure as pastor, our church honored us with a trip to Vienna, Prague and Budapest with Lois Rietzes of Atlanta’s WABE NPR station that emphasized fine music performances, art and fine cuisine. We also traveled to Spain with a choir from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Texas, which is directed by Bill’s sister, Kathy, ’63, and her husband, Lin, an organist and professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. We performed in several cathedrals in Spain and did some sightseeing. We also traveled to Denmark in the summer of 2002 to visit my brother, Sigurd Nielsen, ’62. We also traveled to the Dallas area several times to visit Kathy and Lin, once to hear Lin play the 10th anniversary concert on the organ in Myerson Symphony Hall. Shortly after Bill’s retirement in 1992, we traveled to six European countries on a performance tour with the University of Georgia Chorale. I played organ for the singers in several churches and cathedrals, including Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

You actually met at Young Harris College in 1959 and married in 1963. Can you tell us a little bit about how you met, what drew you to each other, and what initially brought you both to YHC?

B.F.: I was a student at YHC from 1948 to 1950, and I decided to come back to YHC as a member of the music faculty. When the piano teacher left for advanced studies in 1959, he was replaced by Mary Ann Nielsen. When Mary Ann arrived that fall, we were working together constantly and performing every music-related activity needed by virtue of our respective jobs. Incidentally, we were the only music teachers at YHC at that time until a part-time instrumental instructor was brought onboard. As to being drawn toward each other—well, in such a situation when two people are constantly working together, a strong attraction will quickly develop or quite the opposite. Luckily for me, along with my being increasingly aware of Miss Nielsen’s outstanding musicality and communicative performances, I fell in love with my colleague.

M.A.F.: I had aspired to be a missionary as a youth until the study and performance of music took over my life. When searching for a job after finishing graduate school, I applied to placement bureaus, asking for a job in a foreign country. The Methodist placement bureau notified me of a position opening at YHC. After applying, I received a wonderful letter from the President’s secretary, Ondee Ravan, describing the area as a valley in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It sounded so wonderful that I accepted the position before seeing the College. Bill and I first met in the dining hall on campus the first day that I arrived. We thought alike and responded to music and other things in the same way. I guess you could say we were kindred spirits from the beginning.

You have touched the lives of many alumni over the years. What are some of your fondest memories during your time at YHC?

B.F.: Every generation and every new school term brings new students and new challenges. Many students over the years have been fondly remembered along with our activities together, such as recitals, choral programs, choir trips and taking students to see concerts at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Metropolitan Opera, among other venues. Here is one memory that might seem trivial but is fondly remembered: when the Music Department occupied the Rich Building, a space now occupied by the south wing of Goolsby, Mary Ann and I went Christmas tree hunting accompanied by a couple of students. During a light and pleasant snowfall, we found a lovely white pine, some holly and mistletoe, brought them back to campus and decorated our building for the Christmas season. Such occasions have made many precious memories and lifelong friendships.

M.A.F.: Some of my fondest memories involve the “family atmosphere” at YHC. I felt welcome and accepted. This was reassuring, since most people in this area at the time tended to look on a native of Illinois as a “Yankee foreigner.” We developed a closeness with students, which often involved concerts both on- and off-campus, after-concert feasts at our house and madrigal dinners for 12 years. We also enjoyed numerous activities with Pro Musica Camerata, choir trips on school buses and many other events together.

You both established Young Harris College as the first two-year college in Georgia to offer the associate of fine arts degree in music, art and theatre. Today, YHC offers bachelor’s degrees in music, musical theatre and theatre. How would you describe the changes you have seen in the Division of Fine Arts—and YHC as a whole—during the last 50 years?

B.F.: When I retired in 1992 after 40 years at the College, the Division of Fine Arts was maintaining and producing quality students as transfers to senior institutions. Through those early years, we operated on the proverbial “shoestring.” Funds were in low supply, but sacrifices and long hours of hard work brought us through. Then, after many years of patience and long-range vision, past YHC President Ray Farley and a dedicated Board of Trustees brought several sources of income to YHC from estates of loyal alumni, corporate funds and other benefactors. This was the turning point which brought our school into its current path of growth. I must admit that, to some of us older folks, the rapidity of this growth and change is, in short, dizzying. I think change and growth are good and also unavoidable. But I sincerely hope that this speed will not kill the YHC historical “spirit.” I do see evidence in a number of areas where real efforts are being made to preserve and nourish that tradition of spirit at YHC. My own observation has revealed that a strong alumni community is the best agency for this enormously important task.

M.A.F.: Fantastic!!

When you received the President’s Medallion at Young Harris College’s commencement ceremony in 2010, YHC President Cathy Cox stated that your “vision, leadership and encouragement paved the way for the Division of Fine Arts that we have today.” What are you most proud of accomplishing during your time at YHC and why?

B.F.: I don’t like to apply the term “proud” to any of my endeavors, but I must say that I am humbly grateful to have begun my college career at YHC and even more for the faith of past YHC President Charles Clegg in my ability by giving me the opportunity to be a part of the YHC community as a faculty member. I am pleased to have been part of the process that brought YHC from a music staff of one teacher to the current Division of Fine Arts staff of more than 25 well-qualified faculty and staff members. I sincerely wish the very best for continued growth toward producing superior fine arts graduates from this little college, remembering that “big is not synonymous with good.”

M.A.F.: I’m proud of the accomplishments of the students we had. Most, if not all, have continued to be involved in music and in sharing it with others. Some have become professional musicians, some are music teachers and some are church musicians. Many participate in community choruses and bands. I am especially proud of the personnel we helped to select for the continued growth of the Division of Fine Arts: Jeff Bauman as Bill’s successor, Dr. Keith DeFoor as my successor, and, of course, Cindy DeFoor as a wonderful “bonus,” along with all of the other supporting faculty and staff members who came onboard more recently. My hope is that this group will keep this “family” happily intact!

Dear Alumni,

As I write this letter, I am confronted by these numbers in my blessed life.

I have been away from Young Harris College for 26 years.

I have been married for 15 years.

I have an 11-year-old and a 9-year-old.

I have been teaching for 21 years.

I have been best friends with four girls from Young Harris for 25 years.

None of this seems possible. While I know this is my own reality, it is also one that I share with many of you. My involvement with Young Harris College did not end with graduation all those years ago. My life today is filled with Young Harris connections. My husband, Dan, ’84, my son’s teacher, my co-teachers, church friends and random encounters all share with me the “Young Harris experience.”

I want to preserve that “experience.” Involvement is the only way I know to do that. Those of you that know me know that being involved is what I do. It is what I can do. As a high school teacher, I am always recruiting for our alma mater. Most recently, I began serving as the secretary of the Young Harris College Alumni Board. And I have—again—become a Mountain Lions fan! My sons and I traveled to YHC on more than one occasion to see those Lions play basketball in a Recreation Center that will make anyone want to work out. It is beautiful!

When is the last time you visited YHC? There have been many physical changes, but you can still get from your dorm room to class without a car. Most importantly, it is still the place where our college careers began and our memories were made. It will continue to be that place as long as we stay involved by giving our time, expertise and monetary gifts. I know YHC benefits from the involvement and giving of the alumni, but not nearly as much as each one of us benefits when we return to campus, seeing our friends and feeling that same old YHC spirit.

What compels me the most to stay involved is the fact that my friends’ children are now attending Young Harris College. It is happening again this year as two of my dear friends’ daughters will walk on campus in the fall of 2011 to begin their own “Young Harris experiences.” I am so thrilled for them to sit on the wall, be in a sorority, learn from seasoned professors and see the stars at night—but most of all, just to be there. It makes me realize my boys may soon be Mountain Lions. I hope so!

If you have not been back to our alma mater, please come. It is worth the trip. It will help you remember the journey. It will remind you that the numbers are positive. Be safe, my friends.

In May, Young Harris College will grant its first bachelor degrees to a senior class in nearly a century. To honor the Class of 1961’s 50th Anniversary and the 125th Anniversary of Young Harris College, the Class of '61 is invited to walk and participate in YHC’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 7, in the YHC Recreation Center.

One of the College’s most accomplished alumni, former U.S. Senator and Georgia Governor Zell Miller, ’51, will deliver the commencement address for this special occasion.

During a special Alumni Weekend, July 29-31, YHC will also honor the Class of 1961 and celebrate the College’s rich heritage and promising future.

Members of the Class of 1961 who are interested in participating in this historic commencement ceremony should RSVP to Heather Deyton in the Office of Alumni Services at (706) 379-5335 or hadeyton@yhc.edu by Friday, March 18.

Young Harris College Friends of the Arts Members Enjoy Evening of Fine Arts

Approximately 90 members of Young Harris College’s Friends of the Arts (FOTA) enjoyed a special appreciation dinner on March 3 in Grace Rollins Campus Restaurant on the Young Harris College campus. FOTA members also enjoyed a full lineup of fine arts events throughout the evening.

“The College is proud to have presented such a wonderful evening of diverse cultural events and is so pleased with the tremendous community support of our artistic offerings,” Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Music Keith DeFoor, Ph.D., said.

Young Harris College hosted the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra as part of the annual “Fay Harmon Clegg Hoag Concert Series” in Glenn Auditorium of the Clegg Fine Arts Building. Prior to the performance, Professor of Music and Dean of the Division of Fine Arts Benny Ferguson, Ph.D., presented a concert preview in Wilson Lecture Hall sponsored by the Institute for Continuing Learning at Young Harris College.

Young Harris College’s Campus Gate Art Gallery hosted an opening reception for “Foundation to Fruition,” a kinetic artwork exhibit by artist Tom Haney. Consisting of pieces that span the career of the Georgia artist, the exhibition includes some of his early work that was heavily influenced by Southern folk art as well as recent works that reflect his current style, highlighting his experimentation with new material and methods. The exhibition will be on display through April 1.

“One of the best parts about being a FOTA member is having the opportunity to spend evenings like this at the College where the fine arts truly shine,” Retention Officer and Associate Professor of Physical Education and Recreation John Kniess, Ph.D., said. “I thoroughly enjoyed conversing with fellow FOTA members throughout the evening and connecting to others through a mutual appreciation for the arts.”

Friends of the Arts supports Young Harris College’s mission of enabling students to grow and learn in an environment of uncompromised artistic and academic freedom and integrity. Gifts made by FOTA members help promote awareness of arts programming.

A percentage of all 2010-2011 gifts to YHC’s Friends of the Arts fund will benefit the YHC Choir European Tour May 2011. In addition, FOTA patrons have the opportunity to sponsor a student to attend the trip, in keeping with FOTA’s goal to promote the exploration of new endeavors and learning experiences.

For more information about Friends of the Arts, contact the Office of Advancement at (706) 379-5318.

Click here to view more photos of the opening reception for “Foundation to Fruition” at the Campus Gate Art Gallery.

Click here to view more photos of Young Harris College’s Friends of the Arts special appreciation dinner.

Click here to view more photos of the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra performance at Young Harris College.

Young Harris College to Host History Conference Regarding Remembrance of WarsIncludes annual Ragsdale Lecture on Friday, March 18

Young Harris College will host "Remembrances: Constructing Narratives of Wars of the 19th and 20th Centuries," Friday-Saturday, March 18-19, sponsored by the Department of History. This conference on war-time narratives and remembrance will feature lectures, presentations and panel discussions by YHC faculty, guest speakers and students. The event is free and open to the public.

The conference will feature 12 sessions, including “Deviant Widows, Warriors and/or Breadwinners: The Variety of Women’s War Experience,” “Memory, Imperialism and Sites of Tragedy,” “In the Aftermath of Wars and Crises: Nationalist Revival, Battlefield Tourism and The New Concepts of Citizenship,” “Remembering The American Civil War,” “Writing War as Mythmaking,” “‘Enemies’ and ‘Others’ in Remembering (and Forgetting) War Experiences,” “The Contested Memories of the Cold War,” “The Construction of the Memory of Great War,” “The Memories of the Second World War and the Holocaust,” “War is Peace? (Re)Framing War and the Consequences for both Memory and Action,” “Militarism, Gender, and Empire in Narrating Wars” and “Making Peace after Wars: Rebuilding State, Redefining Identities.”

According to History Department Chair and Assistant Professor of History Thomas Stearns, Ph.D., the conference evolved from a senior-level course, titled “Remembrances of the Great War (WWI),” taught by Assistant Professor of History Natalia Starostina, Ph.D., this semester.

“The enthusiasm of Dr. Starostina’s students, as well as her vision, are responsible for this innovative, unusual approach to a conference on war,” Dr. Stearns said.

Scholars from across the globe will present during the conference, including professors from Niagara University and Ryerson University in Canada, Istanbul University in Turkey, Technion Israel Institute of Technology in Israel, Omsk State Pedagogical University in Russia, Indiana University, The California State University, University of Richmond and The University of Tennessee.

In addition, graduate students from Emory University, the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, New York University and other institutions will make presentations during the conference.

“The presenters’ works transcend traditional military history to embrace everything from relevant studies in the arts, social and cultural national memory, to mythmaking properties of warfare,” Dr. Stearns said. “The participating individuals represent a great diversity of academic accomplishment and scholastic approaches to war, from young history majors to seasoned scholars.”

On Friday, March 18, Fraser Harbutt, Ph.D., professor of history at Emory University, will deliver the annual Ragsdale Lecture at 4 p.m. in Wilson Lecture Hall of Goolsby Center. Dr. Harbutt’s lecture, titled “The Cold War in Historical Retrospect: Myths, Manipulations and Realities,” will address the origins of war.

Dr. Harbutt earned his B.A. and LL.B. from the University of Otago in New Zealand, his LL.M. from the University of Auckland in New Zealand and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. His research and scholarly interests include international history, United States diplomatic and political history and U.S.-Soviet relations. Dr. Harbutt has written three books on the history of the Cold War, including The Iron Curtain: Churchill, America and the Origins of the Cold War, The Cold War Era and Yalta 1945: Europe and America at the Crossroads. He received the Stuart L. Bernath Memorial Book Prize in 1986 from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations.

The Ragsdale Lecture Series brings national speakers to Young Harris College to discuss relevant governmental and political issues. It was established in 1983 by Mr. and Mrs. H.D. Paris to honor Mrs. Paris’ cousin, Warner B. Ragsdale. Ragsdale was a 1917 graduate of Young Harris College who achieved a long and distinguished career in journalism.

Students, academic professionals and community members are encouraged to attend the conference.

Young Harris College Student Receives Rotary Scholarship

Young Harris College senior communication studies and theatre major Stephanie Sexton, of Cumming, is one of three Georgia students recently selected by the Norwegian Rotary Advisory Board to participate in a prestigious program at the International Summer School (ISS) at the University of Oslo in Norway, June 25-Aug. 5.

The ISS welcomes more than 550 students from nearly 100 countries to choose from a selection of six-week graduate and undergraduate courses each summer. The ISS is a learning community of diverse students who come together to learn, network and increase understanding and good will between nations.

A committee comprised of six faculty and staff members was formed to select a candidate from Young Harris College for this program. This committee included YHC Campus Minister and Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Rev. Dr. Tim Moore, Business and Public Policy Department Chair and Associate Professor of Business and Public Policy John Van Vliet, Ph.D., Foreign Language Department Chair and Associate Professor of Spanish Diana Santiago, Ph.D., Vice President for Enrollment Management Clint Hobbs, Adjunct Instructor of Political Science Mark Dehler, J.D., and Academic Advising Director Debbie Roach.

This committee forwarded two candidates to the local Rotary club for endorsement. After filling out an extensive application including letters of recommendation, Sexton was chosen by a statewide selection committee to complete a formal interview with four Rotarians in Gainesville.

“I felt like I was the underdog going into the interview, but I walked away saying, ‘I did my best and I was myself, and that is what counts.’ The next thing I knew, I was being told I was the one that was chosen,” Sexton said. “I could not even speak when I found out. Words cannot explain how thrilled I am. I am absolutely honored to be chosen.”

Along with excelling in her academic pursuits, Sexton is highly involved on the YHC campus. She is a resident advisor, serves as the historian for YHC’s Student Government Association, participates in Theatre Young Harris and performs in the 12-voice women’s a cappella group, Southern Harmony.

The Rotary scholarship calls for applicants that possess a “seriousness of purpose” and “personal qualities likely to make a good representative of our country abroad.” According to Rev. Dr. Moore, Sexton fulfills both of these expectations.

“Stephanie is the very embodiment of a well-rounded student. In addition to her many extracurricular activities, she is a strong student and has a commendable academic record,” Rev. Dr. Moore said. “She is also a great person and embodies the Rotary’s motto of ‘service above self’ in her everyday life. We could not ask for a better representative of YHC to receive this scholarship.”

Sexton will attend classes five days a week at the ISS at the University of Oslo, studying various subjects including Norwegian art, language and literature. The University of Oslo will issue a Certificate of Achievement to all students who satisfactorily complete the summer courses.

The program also includes a field tour to Bergen, Norway, that is administered by the University of Oslo, along with a one-week visit with a Norwegian Rotary host family.

“I am looking forward to getting to experience a whole new culture. I am interested in seeing how different cultures communicate, and this gives me the perfect opportunity to do that,” Sexton said. “I also am excited about getting to see the historical side of Norway, and I am really looking forward to the beauty of the country. I have seen pictures, and now I am just excited to be able to experience it.”

Appalachian Jam Session Held on Young Harris College Campus

Nearly 50 Young Harris College students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members participated in the second Young Harris College Appalachian Jam Session, Feb. 24. The event featured traditional bluegrass and “old-time” Appalachian music played on various instruments, including guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, bass and other acoustic stringed instruments.

The event was organized by Art Department Chair and Associate Professor of Art Ted Whisenhunt and senior music major Grady Garner of Blairsville.

“Grady approached me last fall about starting a bluegrass and old-time music jam session on campus. We decided to move forward with the idea this spring and our first gathering was held in January,” Whisenhunt said. “During our most recent session, more students showed up with instruments and we had a much larger group as a whole. We hope this will become an official monthly jam in the future.”

During the session, the group played several bluegrass standards including “Will the Circle be Unbroken,” “I’ll Fly Away” and “Salty Dog,” as well as many traditional fiddle tunes including “Old Joe Clark,” “Soldier’s Joy” and “Waterbound.”

“Our aim is to generate an interest in traditional music of Appalachia on campus and to do so in an inclusive environment where musicians of all skill levels are encouraged to participate,” Whisenhunt said. “This region has a rich cultural heritage and this is just one of the many ways we can celebrate these traditions on our campus.”

YHC Staff Member and Student Volunteer for Locks of Love

YHC Admissions Counselor and alumna Kari Webb, ’07, and sophomore athletic training major Kelsey Herbert, of Covington, volunteered to have their hair cut and donated to Locks of Love during halftime of the YHC women’s basketball game held at the YHC Arena on Feb. 12. Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

Webb and Herbert stood at center court during halftime and each had 10 inches of hair cut off by Leisa Shook of Head Shots Hair Salon in Blairsville, who volunteered her time to cut and style the ladies’ hair. Leisa’s daughter and YHC student Megan Shook, a senior business and public policy major from Young Harris, assisted in the hairstyling.

“Kari, Kesley and Leisa all demonstrated such positive acts of kindness. Kari has a passion for children and felt this was a great way to help,” YHC Assistant Athletics Director, Senior Women’s Administrator and Women’s Soccer Head Coach Kathy Brown said. “Kelsey is a member of the College’s softball team. She joked that her hair was so long that it would get caught under her arm while she was pitching, so this seemed like a great opportunity to help out a child and also solve her pitching problem.”

Feb. 12 was declared “Cancer Awareness Day” by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. During the game, members of the committee distributed slips of paper to fans that included hundreds of facts about cancer.

YHC Admissions Counselor and alumna Kari Webb, ’07, and sophomore athletic training major Kelsey Herbert, of Covington, volunteered to have their hair cut and donated to Locks of Love.

Webb and Herbert stood at center court during halftime and each had 10 inches of hair cut.

Leisa Shook of Head Shots Hair Salon in Blairsville volunteered to cut and style the ladies’ hair.

Faculty Notables

Jeff Bauman, professor of music and director of choral and vocal activities, appeared as a soloist with the Brasstown Big Band during a performance at the 9th District Georgia Music Educators Association Honors Band Festival held at Fannin County High School, Feb. 11.

Dr. Nick Bowman, assistant professor of communication studies, will serve as a judge for the annual Youth Leadership Development Scholarship Program speech competition at Towns County High School in Hiawassee, March 26.

Karen Calloway, assistant professor of music, flute, performed at the Toccoa Symphony Orchestra’s Mid-Winter Concert in Toccoa, March 6. Calloway will also perform during the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra’s Young People’s Concert at Brenau University in Gainesville, March 18.

Dr. Rachel Chaves, assistant professor of theatre, presented a workshop, titled "Director-Designer Collaboration: How to Start the Conversation” during the Southeastern Theatre Conference Annual Convention in Atlanta, March 2-6. The workshop outlined a method for theatrical collaboration and text analysis based on the phenomenology of Martin Heidegger.

Eddie Collins, theatre department chair and assistant professor of theatre, recently served as the Irene Ryan Scholarship Auditions coordinator at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) Region IV Festival in Daytona, Fla., Feb. 1-5. Collins oversaw auditions for more than 200 undergraduate and graduate students from 10 states in the Southeast. The Irene Ryan Foundation awards 16 regional and two national scholarships annually.

Cathy Cox, YHC president, co-presented a session, titled “Why Higher Education Will Make or Break Georgia’s Future,” with Georgia College and State University President Dr. Dorothy Leland during the Women in Leadership Forum held at The Commerce Club in Atlanta, Feb. 10. Cox served as the keynote speaker for the High School Guidance Counselors Workshop held at Kennesaw State University, Feb. 15. She served on a president’s panel for the Georgia Association of Women in Higher Education Annual Meeting held at Dalton State College, Feb. 25. Cox also addressed legislative interns serving in the Georgia General Assembly at a luncheon, Feb. 11. Legislative interns are selected from Georgia colleges and universities each year to serve as aides to various committees and offices. Bryan Miller, a senior business and public policy major from Young Harris, currently serves in the office of Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives David E. Ralston, ’74, while senior business and public policy major Jared Wright of Hiawassee serves as an aide for State Representative Stephen Allison.

Rosemary Royston, ’89, vice president for planning and assessment and chief of staff, will present a paper regarding the theme of nature in Appalachian poetry at the 34th Annual Appalachian Studies Conference in Richmond, Ky., March 11-13.